Dabo Swinney Drops Serious Praise on Freshman WR Joseph Ngata

Once quarterback Trevor Lawrence becomes the No. 1 overall pick in 2021 and is joined in the NFL by wide receivers Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross, Clemson will regress to the mean, right?

Apparently not. Head coach Dabo Swinney has already located his next star in 6-3, 210-pound freshman Joseph Ngata, as he all but confirmed that Ngata will see time as a true freshman and won't redshirt.

Freshman wide receiver Joseph Ngata continues to make his presence felt early in Clemson’s fall camp.https://t.co/3Io4N5fTxV
— Orange and White (@orangeandwhite) August 10, 2019

"He’s as hard a worker as I’ve ever been around, senior included," Swinney said of his young receiver. "I’ve never had a senior work harder. He is one of the most focused, one of the most committed young people I have ever seen. It’s amazing to watch him work. Loves to be coached, loves to learn. He's special."

Ngata, the son of Cameroonian immigrants, hails from Folsom, Calif. and was one of the most highly recruited receivers in his class. Despite interest from schools like Washington, Notre Dame, Alabama, and USC, Ngata opted for Clemson, and the speedy receiver appears to have made quite the first impression.

Dabo Swinney was asked tonight which freshmen might avoid a redshirt in 2019. Without hesitation: "Ngata, for sure. Fo sho." A look at what makes Joseph Ngata special and why he has such a bright future https://t.co/ABzHW3hpYv
— Matt Connolly (@MattatTheState) August 13, 2019

Once Lawrence and Ross leave, Ngata and DJ Uiagalelei will step in and won't miss a beat. The Tigers ain't going away, folks.